Love Like Woe
by KNDfreak
Summary: With the pups pairing off, Rubble's left all alone until he comes across a pup whose background is much like his own. As the two continue to meet up, Rubble might just find what he's looking for in a mate. Main: RubblexOC. Other mentioned: MarshallxChase, SkyexEverest, RockyxZuma, and RyderxKatie. You may see hints of CalixOC too.
1. Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny day in Adventure Bay, with Rubble being down at the beach, making a sandcastle. As always, whenever there was nothing going on, no one asking for help, the pups were off doing their own thing, up until Ryder did need them. The young bulldog sighed.

He didn't know when it happened, but the pups have been pairing off more than usual; mostly because they've somehow became mates. First had been Marshall and Chase, which came a shock to everyone, but them, apparently. Most of the community knew that Chase had a crush on Skye, so when it was revealed that Chase had decided to make Marshall his mate, well, it really was a shocker. Though not officially mated, since the pups were still too young for that sort of thing, the two had decided to make each other mates by other means - such as rubbing their scents together, on their pup houses, and if the red on Marshall's neck just a little below his collar was anything to go by, by biting each other as well. It was because of them that sparked Zuma and Rocky's mate-like relationship as well.

Rubble wants to be surprised about this, if only for the fact that Rocky hates water. The bulldog thought because of this difference, that their relationship would be on the rocks (no pun intended), but not really. Zuma had understood Rocky's fear of water, and instead of pressuring him, he helped him through it up until Rocky himself was confident that he wasn't going to drown the moment he stepped into the pool. Since then, the two had been side-by-side, just like Chase and Marshall.

Another shocker, and maybe a little bit of disappointment on his end, was Skye and Everest's get together as well. None of the males knew how it happen; Rubble began to suspect it was during the time Skye had got caught in the blizzard, but the two lone females of the group had decided to mate as well, with Everest coming over to visit Skye and Skye doing the same. Rubble was disappointed, simply because like Chase, he had a crush on Skye for the longest of times. Since they first met, actually. He thought she was pretty, and she laughed as most of his jokes, and even if Skye had chosen Chase instead, he still cared for her, still wanted her for his own.

It's just too bad Rubble was youngest of the group.

The English bulldog frowned.

He didn't think his age mattered when it came to these sort of things; sure, in human years, he wasn't ready to be mated, but that didn't mean he didn't feel what the rest of the group was feeling. Rubble had been alone for a long time, both before and after he became a wandering pup in the streets, and he had always wanted to know what it feels like to be loved, in that way. He thought he had a chance with Skye after Chase had moved on with Marshall, but she had turned to another pup, female, and didn't even bother to say anything to Rubble about his crush. It felt as hopeless as bouncing up towards the moon wearing nothing, but sneakers.

It also kind of hurt that everyone else had their own love lives while Rubble was stuck all on his own.

Even Ryder had a love life - he and Katie had been seeing each other more and more, getting closer, and Rubble had to wonder if Ryder had made her his mate yet - girlfriend, is what the humans would call it.

He sighed.

"Everyone's got someone special, but me." He whimpered, honey-brown eyes tearing up when he heard a small noise coming from the back of him. Turning around, he spotted a pup, a Rottweiler it looked like, walking down the beach and headed between the docks, with a leftover burger in her - at least, judging by the scent, the pup was a she - mouth. Once comfortable, she sat down and began eating it, too focus on the food to notice she was being stared at.

Rubble eyed her.

She had no collar from what Rubble could see, her tail docked (which is always a sad thing when it comes certain breeds. Understandable, but really a tragedy when someone cuts off a piece of an animal's tail), and her ears flat. Her coat was black, obviously with most Rotties, with a copper-color on her stomach, muzzle, and a little bit on her ears and eyebrows. A little underweight for a Rottie, but seeing as she had no collar, it was to be expected. She also looked as though she was the same age as Rubble.

The English bulldog paused for a moment.

The pup was pretty, he thought, maybe even more so than Skye, and she looked as though she came around the same circle as he, so maybe, just maybe...

With a determine look on his face, Rubble stood up.

Maybe it was his time to find a friend of his own, and if willing, a mate.

* * *

A/n: The lack of Rubble fanfics is disappointing. I think 90% of the PAW Patrol fanbase don't like Rubble, which is sad. I'm not one of them, however, I personally think Rubble's sweet, and yes, RubblexSkye is one of the pairings I support. I plan on making one too, I just don't know where to start. By the way, meet Diamond! My OC pup, along with Bruno, who is acting as Rubble's sweetheart! At least, if I'm not busy pairing Skye up with Everest :P


	2. Chapter 2

The Rottweiler had just finished eating her burger when a shadow - albeit a small one - fell over her and caused her to tilt her head to the side, brown eyes peering up at the stranger. From the smell, she could tell that the bulldog - English if you want to be specific - was a male, and she huffed.

"Hi," He started, tail wagging as he looked at her eager eyes. "My name's Rubble. What's yours?"

The Rottweiler didn't say anything. Instead, she just laid her head on the ground, eyes moving towards the sea. Frowning at the clear dismal, Rubble continued to talk.

"Are you a stray? I was a stray once, too. But then, a nice human named Ryder took me in, and now I have a shelter, food, and most of all - love! I bet if I took you to him, you'll like him." He said, chuckling. Still, the Rottie didn't say anything. "You know, it's okay to talk about it. I won't judge. I know it's scary to be out all on your own, that you think no one cares for you, but that's not true! Lots of people care, you just have to find the right one!"

"...Don't you have something better to do?" She asked, startling Rubble, who blinked, before chuckling.

"Not really. If I did, my tag would light up by now and then Ryder would be all 'PAW Patrol, to the lookout!'" He said. The Rottie blinked.

"PAW Patrol? You're part of the PAW Patrol?" She asked. Rubble nodded.

"Yep! I'm the constructive pup. I help build things and move things out of the way with my rig." He said. The Rottweiler just stared at him.

"What's a rig?" She asked. Rubble stared at her, bewildered.

"It's a machine that helps me dig holes, or push things such as boulders out of the way. You've never seen a rig before?" Rubble asked. The Rottie shook her head, somewhat confused and shyly looked away, embarrassed.

"Not...really. Not one made for pups, anyway. Most of the constructions are done on a site blocked from view, so..." She shrugged. "And besides, I have been living under the docks a good while. The only time I ever stepped out is for food, water, or bathroom breaks. I...I don't socialize much."

"Why not? People don't bite. At least, I don't think they do. Their teeth aren't sharp enough to hurt anyone." Rubble said, smiling when he saw the Rottie's lips twist into a small smile.

"No, it's just..." She hesitated, before shrugging her shoulders again. "I just don't. Since living on my own, I have no desire to socialize with anyone."

"You're socializing with me," Rubble pointed out, grinning as she blushed. _Cute._ "Look, I get it. As I said, I was a stray too. One of the perks of being a stray, is that you don't have to listen to anyone, and you're free to do as you wish," He paused. "But I was incredibly lonely. I had no one to play with, and walking around town without a spare glance hurts - a lot. No one gave me the time of day, and I had to beg for food and that's it. I wasn't skittish, or anything. I had been socialize with people, so I know what to do and what not to do. Still, to be overlooked as much as I have been, it left a deep wound in my heart. I thought there was something wrong with me, and until I had met Ryder, I kept thinking that I was never good enough. That I wasn't a good pup." Rubble gave a small smile. "When Ryder decided to take me in, and made me a part of the team, that was the happiest day of my life. I never regretted it. I'm sure the same could be said about you."

"That's where you're wrong," The Rottweiler said, Rubble blinking at the interruption. "No one would want me. I'm not 'perfect', whatever that means."

"What are you talking about? You seem fine to me." Rubble said, cocking his head to the side.

"My tail's docked, and people don't like that. I have a scar on my face because I had gotten into a fight, and now everyone thinks I'm too 'dangerous' to be around children. My parents are dead, washed out to the sea, and my owner had abandon me." She snarled, quickly wiping away the tears. "He told me he would be right back. He said he loved me and he wouldn't leave me. So no, no one would want me."

"I understand that too." Rubble said, honey-brown eyes taking on a serious tone, surprising the Rottweiler. "My mother passed away weeks after the birth of my fifteenth sibling. My dad had been nowhere on the scene. I did have owners before Ryder, and they had packed up their things and moved out of Adventure Bay, leaving me behind. I had waited and waited, until a new family showed up and I had to leave the property. I'm not perfect either. People claimed me as childish and too energetic, only having kiddie's view of the world, and often fallen under the 'too young to understand' trope. And you know what else? None of the PAW Patrol is perfect either. Skye's annoying when she wants to be, Marshall can't even walk in a straight line, Chase is too bossy, Zuma's speech impairment sometimes gets on my nerves, Rocky's fear of water - not anymore at least - drove me nuts, and Everest is too darn hyper AND she talks a lot. It's a Husky thing, but still. Also, Ryder's attitude for every mission makes me angry sometimes too. So, no, we aren't perfect, but for all the things we lack, we make up for with compassion and desire to help others." He said. "So with all that being said, Ryder still wanted us. Still loved us. And again, someone would want you too, you just gotta look for it."

She just stared at him.

"For someone around my age, you sure seem wise beyond your years." The Rottweiler said, and Rubble laughed.

"If anyone is paying attention to me, they would have known that," He sighed. "Still, I love my friends and I love the things that I do. One of the things that I enjoy is helping someone who needs help and pardon me, but it seems as though you need help yourself."

"You're not going to force me to join the PAW Patrol, are you?" She asked, giving Rubble a blank stare. The bulldog laughed, long and hard.

"No no, not if you don't want to. But you seem as though you need a friend, and I'm more than happy to be that friend. So let's start over shall we? Hi, I'm Rubble." Rubble said, holding out a paw. The Rottweiler stared at it before giving her own paw and shook his. Rubble grinned.

"Diamond."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, Diamond, what is it that you do for fun if you're not lying down in between the docks?" Rubble asked. The Rottweiler pup cocked her head to the side, eyeing the bulldog from the corner of her eyes.

"Um...nothing, I guess. I'm usually napping throughout the day." She said, causing Rubble to scoff.

"All day? Come on, you have the entire beach to yourself! Didn't you ever make a sandcastle or plash in the ocean?" He asked, giving her a look of skepticism. Diamond returned that look with a scowl on her face.

"I told you, I only go out when I'm needed. If I'm too hot, of course I'll go into the ocean to cool off." She said.

"I hope you don't drink the water. I heard it from Marshall that that's not a good thing." Rubble said, and Diamond nodded.

"Of course. Salt water doesn't taste good anyway," She paused. "Although I am curious as to how your friend knows about that."

Rubble gave her a small grin, eyes twinkling.

"Help me build a sandcastle and I will tell you all about my friends." He said, smirking as Diamond rolled her eyes.

"Sneaky, sneaky. And here I thought you were the kind one in the group."

"I am, but if you don't know what fun is, I will show you," Rubble paused. "Or rather, spell it out for you. F is for friends who do stuff together, U is for you and me, N is for anywhere and anytime at all, down here in the deep blue sea!"

Diamond felt her lips twitch, but maintain a blank look.

"Was that suppose to be funny?" She asked, but there was amusement in her tone that Rubble could clearly hear, and he smiled.

"Ah, so you DO know the reference!"

"Not really, I just thought you were trying to cheer me up." Diamond shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, well, I got it from SpongeBob. Now, come on, let's go build a sandcastle!" Before Diamond could protest, Rubble began pulling out from the docks with a gentle grasp on her front paw. Eventually, with Rubble trying to pull her, she began to humor him and made it easier for him to carry until they were centimeters away from the dock, and the sun was beaming down on them. "First, we'll need a bucket, so we can put the wet sand in!" He said.

The two looked around until Diamond spotted something that while may not be a bucket, it could still be useful.

"What about that?" She asked, pointing towards the container. Rubble grinned and rushed over, picking it up with his teeth and began running towards the ocean.

"Come on!" He said, and Diamond followed him closely, curiosity sparked in her brown eyes. Sitting the container down, Rubble began placing wet sand into it. He did this for a couple of seconds before realizing Diamond was just sitting there, head tilted, and he couldn't help but smile. "Don't just sit there, help me with the sand. We want to fill the container up until it reaches the top."

Diamond blinked, but did what she was told and with the two helping, the container was filled with sand. Picking it up with his teeth, Rubble began to scoot away from the water and sat the container down. "We don't want the ocean to knock down our sandcastle, so this spot will have to do."

"Aren't you going to tell me about your friends?" Diamond asked, watching as Rubble placed the container upside down, pat it for a minute, before slowly lifting up the container to reveal a sturdy block of sand.

"Well, what do you want to know?" He asked, rushing to get more sand.

"Who's your leader? How did you guys form? And why does this Marshall guy know that salt water is bad for you?" She asked. Rubble continued to build the sandcastle as he spoke:

"Our leader is Ryder, we were created when Ryder had decided to pick most of us off the streets or from the shelter, with the founding leaders being Marshall and Chase, and as for how Marshall knows, well, he told us that he had a very bad experience with salt water." Rubble winced. "Said he had been vomiting for days because of it."

"Oh," Diamond said, rolling her eyes. "Of course."

"Hey, Marshall only been maybe two months old at the time. He didn't know better." Rubble said, rushing back to get more sand for the sandcastle. "In any case, do you want to know the members? I'll be happy to talk about them."

"Sure, I have always wanted to know more about the PAW Patrol." She said. Rubble grunted, but talked anyway.

"As you know, Ryder's the leader of the group, and is mostly Marshall's owner. He's the one we all turn to for directions, and honestly, one of the coolest person I know. He's only ten, but he has so much more experience with stuff like mountain climbing than most ten year olds. Marshall had told me it's because his own dad had been rescuer too, and when Ryder had taken interest, he had trained him for any kind of situations, and most of all, he told him to never panic. Panicking never solves anything, and he had to think with a clear head. Ryder's father had been his role model, which is why Ryder is who he is today," Rubble paused before continuing with the sandcastle. "I admire Ryder a lot. Not only because he's brave, but also kindhearted and selfless too. As the PAW Patrol crew, we love him dearly and we won't let anything happen to him! Not after everything he's done for us."

"Ryder sounds like a terrific owner." Diamond said, brown eyes shining with earnest. Rubble looked at her and blushed.

"He is, and I'm sure if I took you to him, he would have adopted you too. Then, you can live with us, and we'll play together all the time, and you'll never be alone anymore." He said, and Diamond couldn't help but blush at the thought. "Anyway, then you have Marshall, one of the founding leaders. Like I said, Marshall's mostly Ryder's owner since he was the first of the pups to join the PAW Patrol. He's a Dalmatian, the fire/EMT pup of our group, and yeah, he's as clumsy as you'd thought he was," Rubble and Diamond snickered. "But, Marshall has a golden heart. He, like most of us, loves to help people and is always there to lend a paw when you need. In his past, Marshall wasn't very energetic as you see him to be today, at least not from what I heard from Ryder and Chase."

"Oh? What was wrong with him?" Diamond asked.

"He got bullied, by his parents and other dogs alike. With his parents, they didn't like his eye color, didn't like how he has fewer spots than his siblings, he was too clumsy, and most of all, he was the runt of his litter. He had been small when he was born, so his parents didn't think much of him. His siblings besides his older sister didn't like him much either, since, once again, he wasn't like them. The other dogs bullied him too, for his spots, for his behavior, and for being smaller than him. In short, Marshall had been neglected and abused, so when he was much younger, he was kind of like you; shy, didn't speak to anyone, and had a lack of confidence within himself."

"I wasn't abused!" Diamond bristled, glaring at the bulldog. Rubble held his hands up in false surrender.

"Didn't say you was, just said what you are now, was kind of like Marshall. Plus, I doubt you were abused - that scar on your face tells a different story. Looks like a claw mark." He said.

"Like I said, I got into a fight," She muttered. "Doesn't matter how, just know that because of it, every time someone sees a Rottweiler, they immediately think of the worst."

"And so what?" Rubble asked, causing Diamond to look at him, startled. "You know you're not the only breed on the Watch List, right? Chase, a German Shepherd, is on there too. So is Pitbulls, Boxers, Doberman, heck, any big dogs that are scary-looking is on the Watch List."

"Watch list?"

"A.K.A considered harmful. Which I have always found funny, seeing how smaller dogs are more than likely to cause trouble than a bigger breed." Rubble snorted, glaring at his sandcastle. "Seriously. The things humans finds scary and unnerved is so freaking ridiculous, I'm in tears from laughter. I'll never understand humans and their fear of something they don't understand - if you can't understand it, why fear it?"

"Well, I mean, with big breeds, it's understandable," Diamond started. "They are big breeds. They can cause damage and such, and yes, there is a chance that they will attack someone - but that goes for every other animal on the planet. People fear big breeds and wants to put them down, yet show them a tiger and it's consider cute? Unlike dogs, you cannot train a tiger. I know you think you can, but you can't. The instinct to hunt is still there, and it only takes one wrong move before you wind up as food for that 'cute little kitty' that you'd thought you could train. Humans annoy me, mostly."

"I don't understand humans, but I like Ryder and I like Katie, Mr. Porter, Mayor Goodway, Alex, and the like. They are good examples of what a human should be, verses what they are." Rubble said, shrugging his shoulders. "But what people say about your breed shouldn't matter. If a person likes you, they are looking pass the 'how many people have been attacked by a Rottweiler' question and just sees you as you are - a cute, little puppy that needs a home, is well-taken care of, and is the happiest dog all because you gave it food and water."

Rubble paused, and then looked at his sandcastle, and smiled. "Done!"

Diamond blinked.

"Wow," She gasped, looking at the all the walls and the shape of the castle. "That's amazing! I didn't even realize you finished the castle!"

"What can I say? I love to dig." He smirked, only to frown as Diamond looked down at the sand.

"I didn't even do anything." She muttered. He gave her a small smile.

"That's okay, you can help me decorate it instead!" He said. Diamond looked up and smiled at him, her tail wagging. Seeing her happy made Rubble's gut squirm a little, and the two sat out for some pretty shells to decorate the castle with. When they found some, Diamond tilted her head.

"You got a lot of pink shells." She commented, making Rubble blush.

"Yeah...I use to build sandcastles for Skye all the time, and her favorite color was pink." He said. Diamond frowned.

"Who's Skye?" She asked. Rubble quickly shook his head.

"Ah, just a teammate of mine, nothing special. Come on, let's decorate the castle!" But just as they were about to, Rubble's pup tag went off.

 _"PAW Patrol, to the lookout!"_

"Ryder needs us!" Rubble said, before looking at Diamond who had a confused look on her face. "I have to go, but um, you can come with me if you want."

"Um, I don't know. If you're needed to the lookout, wouldn't I be in the way?" She asked. Rubble shook his head.

"Nah, I think it'll be fine, but if you don't want to come, that's fine too. Um, see ya when I get back!" He said and before Diamond could say anything, Rubble began rushing towards the lookout tower. She watched him go, before glancing down at the shells and other pretty things to decorate the castle with, and placed a particular pretty yellow shell on top of the castle.

She smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

After Ryder had left, and the three pups he needed - Marshall, Chase, and Skye - went down the slide, Rubble sighed and headed towards the elevator.

"Whewe awe you going, Wubble?" Zuma asked, curious.

"Yeah, aren't you going to stay in case Ryder needs us?" His mate, Rocky, asked, raising an eyebrow. That got Rubble to pause and bit his lip, torn.

"I was going to head down to the beach, to meet up with a friend of mine." He said, blushing when he caught the smug look on Zuma's face.

"Oh? Is it a giwl pup?" He teased. Rubble swallowed, the blush on his face getting darker, and slowly nodded his head. This caused the grin on Zuma's face to widen more, as Rocky tilted his head.

"I thought so. Why don't you just bwing hew ovew hewe? I'd love to meet hew."

"Rather, you want to interrogate her." Rocky said, rolling his eyes as Rubble's eyes went wide at the accusation. Zuma tisked, pawing at his mate's nose, which caused Rocky to wrinkle his nose in annoyance.

"That is not at all twue, Wocky. How dawe you accuse me of such things?" Zuma said, before glancing over at Rubble with a smile on his face. "But no, sewiously, you should bwing hew ovew. That way, you'll have a playmate AND be weady fow when Wydew needs you."

Rubble thought about it, but then shook his head.

"I don't know. She's very shy, and she doesn't like to socialize much. I kept telling her she has nothing to worry about, but I don't know." He said.

"Is she a stray, Rubble?" Rocky asked.

"Yep, she lives down at the beach. Her owner went MIA, and well, from what she's told me, it sounds like no one is willing to adopt her." Rubble said, frowning slightly. This caused the others to frown too.

"Really? Why?"

"She's a Rottweiler, so that really doesn't put her in a good light. Then, she has this teeny, tiny scar on her face that you'll barely even notice unless you were close to her. She said she's been in a fight, and that's one of the main reasons why people are put off about her." Rubble answered.

"That's tewwible." Zuma commented, a deep frown on his face.

"That's not a good enough reason to not adopt a dog! That's downright discriminating!" Rocky said, narrowing his eyes, anger in his tone. Hearing that, Zuma nuzzled him slightly on the head, still looking at Rubble.

"Maybe Wydew will adopt hew. He did it for us, so maybe he'll do it fow hew too." Zuma said.

"That's what I said! She seems willing, so maybe I should bring her over to the lookout, just so you guys can meet her and stuff!" Rubble said. Rocky hummed, closing his eyes as he nuzzled Zuma back before looking over at Rubble again.

"What's her name, Rubble? How old is she?" He asked.

"Her name's Diamond, and she's about my age. I really hope Ryder would adopt her, the last thing I'd want to is to make a liar out of myself." Rubble said, before shuffling on his paws and looking anxiously back at the door. "I got to go. I'm just going to make sure she's okay, and run this idea by her so maybe she'll finally have a home to go to."

Before either of the pups could say anything, Rubble was already heading towards the elevator, and headed down the tower. It was quiet for a moment when Zuma began sniffling. Concern, Rocky turned to him.

"Zuma? You okay?" He asked, worried. Zuma continued to sniffle.

"I'm okay, it's just," He sniffled once more. "Ouw little Wubble is all gwon up!" He bailed, tears pouring down his face.

Rocky shook his head, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rubble began rushing down towards the beach where Diamond was, and to his surprise, she was still decorating the sandcastle.

"You're having fun, I see." He said, startling the Rottie. Diamond turned her head to the side, shrugged her shoulders, before placing a bright, blue shell on the last building of the castle.

"Yeah. This is kind of cool. I wonder why I've never done this before." She asked herself, and Rubble couldn't help but tease her.

"I'm wondering how on earth could you live on the beach and never made a sandcastle, either." He said, snickering as Diamond shoved him. He took a glance at the castle, however. "There's a lot of purple shells. Is purple your favorite color?"

"Yes, actually. Purple and blue are my two favorite colors." Diamond said. Rubble nodded.

"I see. And very little pink."

"I hate pink." Diamond said with an edge in her voice. Rubble wanted to question that, but decided against it. For whatever reason, she really, really didn't like the color pink, and while Rubble was curious, he knew danger when he sees one. "There. Do you like it?" She asked, looking over at him with a nervous glint in her eyes. Rubble smiled at her.

"It's beautiful."

"You aren't even looking!" She huffed, her face turning red when she realized Rubble was looking at _her._

"Do I have to? I'm sure whatever you've created is going to turn out great, just like you." He said, smiling as her blush deepen. She covered her face with her paws.

"You're embarrassing. Stop joking around, and tell me how you really feel." She whined, causing Rubble to chuckle and turned around to face the castle. It was like any sandcastle, but more beautiful, since it was decorated with pretty colorful shells that seemed to glisten in the sunlight. Not to mention, there was a lot of purple, blue, and a little bit of yellows as well.

"It looks like something you'll find out a storybook. I have a sense of royalty when I look at this castle. Was that something you were aiming for?" Rubble asked, eyeing Diamond, who slowly looked up from her paws.

"Kind of...I remember seeing this castle, I'm not sure if from a storybook or if it's actually a castle...but I remember thinking how beautiful it was. It was mostly purple with some blues, grey and silvers, and I think...I think was crystalize as well. It was so beautiful, and I had always wanted to live in something like that." She said, looking down at the sand.

"Is the yellow suppose to represent the greys and silvers?" Rubble asked. Diamond blushed and shook her head.

"No...they just remind me of you." She said. This made Rubble blush and an awkward silence fell between the two, with Diamond looking at the ground and Rubble looking at her. It took a moment before Rubble coughed, gaining Diamond's attention.

"So, I talked to the other pups. Well, pups being Rocky and Zuma, and they seemed excited of wanting to meet you. I would really like for you to them, and the rest of my family as well. I know you aren't comfortable about socializing, but I think, living with us, you'll get better at it. I...I have no right to ask you of this, but...please? Just consider it?" He asked, near whimpering at the end. Diamond bit her lip.

"Okay. Take me to your leader." She said, smiling awkwardly as Rubble looked at her with wide and excited eyes.

"R-really? I can?!"

She nodded.

Rubble couldn't help but jump for joy, giving her a hug, which startled the Rottie, before breaking up and began pulling on her paw.

"Come on! You won't regret this, I promise!" He said with a giant smile on his face. Diamond knew she had lost the battle the moment he smiled at her like that, and without much reluctance, began following Rubble to the lookout.


	5. Chapter 5

The rescue (of Chickaletta, of course) had been fairly short and simple, and didn't take too long for Ryder and the pups to help out. From what Rubble could see, the others were coming back just as he and Diamond made it to the lookout.

"Ryder, Ryder!" Rubble shouted out, capturing the attention of the ten year old, along with Skye, Marshall, and Chase.

"Hey Rubble, who's this?" He asked as soon as they got close. Diamond couldn't help but shuffle behind Rubble, staring at the group with wary eyes.

"This my new friend, Diamond! She's a stray, and I wanted her to meet you guys. Come on, say hi, there's no need to be nervous." Rubble said, glancing at the pup behind him. Ryder couldn't help but smile, bending low as he stared at her.

"Hi Diamond." He said, and Diamond couldn't help but scuttle behind Rubble even further, ducking her head. "It's okay, we won't hurt you." At this, Diamond hesitated, before glancing back at Ryder and the other three pups.

"Hi." She said, stepping away from Rubble, but still kept her head down low.

"So, you're a stray, huh?" Ryder asked and she nodded.

"I told her that maybe you'll adopt her, Ryder. She could live with us, so she doesn't live on the beach anymore." Rubble said, looking at Ryder with hopeful eyes. Ryder scratched his chin, a frown appearing.

"You live on the beach?" He asked, looking at the Rottweiler pup. Diamond nodded.

"For the time being, yes." She said.

"Hmm," Ryder's frown deepen. "I'm sorry, but I don't have enough room for you."

Rubble whimpered.

"B-but, she could live inside the lookout! There's plenty of room in there!" Rubble exclaimed, begging. Ryder shook his head.

"You know she can't, Rubble, but that doesn't mean I'll let her live on the streets." He said, confusing the pups. Diamond couldn't help but scoff, rolling her eyes as anger and hurt came over here.

"If you're thinking about contacting my owner, forget it. He's probably dead." She snarled, but Ryder shook his head.

"That's not what I meant at all, actually. I know of a person who would gladly take you in, as she cares for all animals. The only thing I hope you don't mind is cats." He said, smiling as the others perked up.

"You mean, Katie, Ryder?" Rubble asked, wagging his tail. When Ryder nodded, Rubble couldn't help but howl out in excitement, looking over at Diamond, who looked both surprised and confused at the same time. "That's great news, Diamond! Katie doesn't live that far from us, so I, I mean, we can visit you at anytime if we're not too busy." He said, blushing.

Rubble's little slip-up didn't go unnoticed by the others, and Ryder couldn't help but smile as Chase chuckled, even when his mate nudged him with his elbow.

Diamond blinked.

"Who is Katie? Where does she live?" She asked.

"Katie's a good friend of ours, and Ryder's girlfriend," Ryder blushed. "She owns a grooming shop for pets that doubles as a house for her and her cats, Cali and Scar."

"Are you good with sharing a house with other pets, Diamond?" Ryder asked, looking very serious at the moment. The last thing he would want is for Diamond, or any of the pets to feel uncomfortable about sharing a space with another animal. Then again, Ryder mused wryly, Cali wasn't the sharing type to begin with. He doubted a dog living with them would effect her behavior too much.

"Y-yeah. Before I had became a stray, my owner had another pet, a cat, named Sabertooth(1). She and I didn't always get along, but we didn't kill each other." Diamond said.

"If you don't mind me asking, but did Sabertooth have anything to do with the wild?" Marshall asked. Diamond tilted her head as she thought about it.

"I know she was part Serval, if that counts for anything." She said.

"Huh. An actual wildcat, who knew?" Marshall joked, causing the others to laugh a little. Diamond was the only one not laughing as she titled her head, confused on what she said that made everyone laugh.

"Well, we can go and visit Katie and ask her if she was willing to adopt you. I think she'll agree to that." Ryder said, smiling as the pups cheered.

"YAY!" Rubble shouted, hugging Diamond as tightly as he could, making the Rottie blush. Marshall and Chase eyed each other with knowing smirks as Skye giggled and cooed over them. Seeing this, Diamond blushed even more.

"Stop. You're embarrassing me." She whined, and they laughed again.

* * *

"I think that's a great idea, Ryder. I always wanted a dog, anyway." Katie said, giving Diamond a rub on her head. The Rottweiler couldn't help but shiver as pleasure rolled down her spine, edging her head out even more towards Katie's hand. The others couldn't help but smile - with an exception of Cali, who was too busy glaring at Diamond even when her mate, Scar, rubbed his head against her, meowing for attention.

"Thanks Kate, I knew you wouldn't let me down." Ryder said, giving her a small kiss on her cheek, causing her to blush. The others snickered as Rubble looked over at Diamond.

"I hope you'll enjoy your new home, Diamond. Just remember we're just a block away from you, so at anytime you feel like you want to visit, just you know, call me. Or walk over, it doesn't matter." Rubble said, blushing when he heard Marshall muttered 'Call me?'. Diamond hummed, eyes closing in pleasure before eyeing the bulldog on the ground.

"I will keep that in mind, thanks Rubble. For everything." She said. Rubble beamed at the praise, and before long, the others were out the door, chatting to themselves. Once gone, Katie turned to her three remaining pets.

"I'm sure Ryder already told you, but Cali isn't the sharing type of pet," She mused, smiling as Cali meowed in protest. "But she won't do anything to you because she knows better. So any rivalry that may or may not be going on won't really last. Besides, ever since I'd adopted Scar, Cali's been pretty much spending most of her time with him."

Scar, a black cat with green eyes, looked up at being mentioned before meowing softly and went back to grooming his mate.

"You adopted Scar too?" Diamond asked. Katie nodded.

"I hate for when animals don't have a home, and I'm sure Ryder feels the same way. That's why he sent you to me. Even if he didn't have enough room, he'll make sure you were adopted. The same way he adopted Rubble, and Jake adopted Everest." She said. "All three of them were strays, just like you."

Diamond couldn't help but feel her heart swell, tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Katie asked. Diamond shook her head.

"N-nothing, it's just," Diamond trembled. "You are so kind. You, this Jake guy, Ryder, and Rubble...You don't know me, but you want to adopt me. How? Why?"

"How? How can I adopt you? Because I can," Katie answered, rubbing her head as Diamond continued to cry. "Why I want to adopt you? Because I want to. I love all animals, so when I see one that needs a home, I wouldn't hesitate. That's what being a good person do." Diamond continued to cry harder. Katie continued to soothed her until her tears came to a stop and she was whimpering. "Come on, let's get you a bath."

Diamond didn't protest as Katie picked her up and headed towards the back where the tubs were.

* * *

A/n: 1. So looking it up on Google, it's either spelt Sabretooth (I think in X-men) or Sabertooth which, I believe, is the cat. I'm not sure. Google is fucking with me.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was beginning to set as Katie, Diamond, Cali, and Scar made their way up stairs to the second floor after closing the grooming shop.

"I have a large room that Cali sometimes sleeps in if she's not with me. Now that I have adopted Scar, however, she and him uses that room all the time. It's large enough for all three of you, unless you want to sleep with me." Katie said, smiling down at the pup. Diamond tilted her head to the side, torn, as she looked over at the cats who were making their way to the right side, where the large room was.

"Um, if you think it's okay...I...I don't want to be alone right now." She said, looking down at the ground as her tail curled around her. Katie nodded her head before picking the Rottweiler pup up and headed towards her room. Compared to the large room Katie had been talking about, her room was smaller, pink, had a TV, but was pretty cozy. Even if Diamond disliked the color pink, she had to admit that there was something about this room that screamed 'home' to her. When they got to the bed, Katie placed her on the left side.

"Tomorrow, we're going shopping. I'm going to have to buy you some toys, food, your own food and water dish, a bed of your own in case you want to claim a little space in here yours. Cali used to claim the window as her sleeping spot before Scar, so I'm assuming you might want your own space too. We can also go pick out a collar, and then we'll have to go see a vet for any fleas or diseases you might have." She said. Diamond looked offended.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I know you don't have any, but since I'm not a real veterinarian, I can't actually adopt you without that clean bill." Katie said, rubbing Diamond's head again. The slight offensive feeling Diamond felt eased a bit, but nevertheless, she was still puffy.

"Wait, you're not veterinarian? I thought you were a doctor, at least, that's how Rubble described you." Diamond asked, confused. Katie tisked.

"I'm not really a doctor without a permit, or some sort of evidence backing up my work. I am working on it, however, so it won't be an issue for long." She said, before yawning, stretching out her arms. "I'm going to take me a nice, warm, shower, and then we'll head to bed if that's okay with you."

Diamond nodded, and watched Katie as she walked out of the room and headed towards the bathroom. Looking around, Diamond couldn't help but feel a certain warmth flowing through her body.

It's been a long time since she last seen a roof and it was above her head; even longer to feel the soft, cushiness of a bed or a blanket. She had been living under the docks for so long, with only sand acting as a bed under her paws. When it rained, the docks did little to keep her from getting wet, as there were cracks in the wooden planks that the rain slipped through and dropped down on her nose and body - but she stayed. She stayed there because it was the only place she knew her old owner would come and probably find her, had he looked hard enough.

 _Not likely._ She thought bitterly, before shaking her head and sighing. She couldn't keep thinking on the past, she now had a home, a new owner, and some friends. She didn't know if this was what she was waiting for, but the thought of all those things made her feel warm and fuzzy, and a part of her hoped that she'll never be without them again.

Circling around the spot, Diamond curled up on herself, and with a sigh, let her body relax and her eyes slowly closing, falling into the lure of sleep.

Fifty minutes later, Katie came out of the shower wrapped in a towel. She blinked in surprise before smiling softly at the pup on her bed, fast asleep. Walking towards her, Katie placed a kiss on Diamond's forehead, before moving around her room as quietly as she could and began to dress herself. Once that was done, she turned off the lights and went to bed.

"Sweet dreams, Diamond." She whispered, watching as Diamond's ear twitch before relaxing again. Soon, Katie felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she too, was fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning found Katie and Diamond walking into stores for Diamond's supplies.

"Let's see, we need food - for both you and the cats, of course - so that means we'll need to pick out a set of dishes for you." Katie said. Diamond nodded in agreement, and walked inside the store. It hadn't been long before they came across the bowls and dish area, where Diamond had picked out a purple and blue set.

"Purple for food, blue for water." Katie said, smiling down at the pup, who smiled back.

"Right."

After spending most of their time shopping, it was finally time for Diamond to pick out a collar.

"So, Diamond, what collar do you want?" Katie asked. Diamond turned to look at all the choices, humming, only to frown a little.

"I don't see any that I want," She said, looking down at the ground. She peaked over to Katie, who frowned, and quickly added: "But that's okay, we can just a cheap brand if you want."

"No, your collar has to be unique. Something that screams 'you'. Besides, I don't mind spending cash on you; Cali certainly doesn't mind it." Katie joked, and Diamond couldn't help but laugh. She looked over at the collars again, before stopping, her eyes going wide.

"What about this one?" She asked. Katie looked over at the collar and stopped as well. It was a simple black collar, with purple and silver glitter that were spread across it in a simple, wave-like pattern. It was really pretty, Katie thought, and she couldn't help but think that it fit Diamond all too well.

"That's great. Now, we just need to customize your pup tag, and you're officially owned." Katie said. Diamond couldn't help but beam as Katie grabbed the collar and then made her way over to the place where they do tags. Diamond had wanted the tag to be purple with 'D' in the center, kind of like how the pups' were, and that made Katie smile. She added her information on the back of the collar, and once the design has been looked over, the tag came out fresh and new and ready for use. Katie clipped the tag onto the collar before placing the collar onto Diamond. "There. You look great, Diamond."

"Really? It kind of feels funny," Diamond thought, pawing at the collar. "It's been a while since I had a collar. Gonna take a while to get use to it."

Katie just grinned and they began walking again. As soon as they were done shopping, they headed towards the grooming shop, surprised to find Rubble sitting there in front of the door.

"Rubble?" Katie asked, surprising him. Rubble quickly turned around and smiled, eyes gleaming.

"Hey, Katie! Diamond! Nice collar." He said, eyeing the collar. Diamond couldn't help but blush, looking down at the ground as Rubble checked out the collar. Katie just smiled knowingly as she open the door to her shop.

"What did I just say about embarrassing me?" Diamond muttered, causing Rubble to laugh. He looked over at Katie.

"I hope you don't mind me borrowing Diamond, Katie. I kind of want her at breakfast with us." He said, a light blush coming across his face. Katie giggled as Diamond's blush deepen.

"It's no trouble at all! Have fun Diamond!" She said, entering the building.

"Come on! Ryder's got an extra bowl, and he's going to feed us breakfast soon!" Rubble said, pulling Diamond away from the house. The Rottweiler couldn't help but stare as the two began running towards the look out. _This is...my life now? This is what I'm going to be doing?_ She thought, staring at the back at Rubble's head. She couldn't find it within herself to be annoyed, and instead, began running faster, right next to Rubble, a smile on her face.

 _I think I'm happy here._


	7. Chapter 7

When they came up to the lookout, Diamond and Rubble were greeted by Chase, who smiled and wagged his tail.

"You came! Breakfast is about to start, so let's go." He said and began walking into the building. Diamond felt herself hesitate a little, watching as Rubble confidently stepped forward, before doing the same. When she entered the building, she took note of the pups sitting around each other, bowls in front, while there was an extra one right next to a yellow bowl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the German Shepherd - which was probably Chase, if she remembered correctly - moving towards the blue bowl with stars on it, next to the Dalmatian. He nuzzled the Dalmatian slightly, who giggled and blush, before sitting down next to him. Diamond cocked her head to the side before something else caught her attention.

She noticed a chocolate Labrador sleeping soundly against a gray-fur pup, a mix-breed. She half-expected the mix-breed to throw him off, but when the mix-breed just gave a gentle lick on the Lab's ear, she was even more confused.

"Come on, you can sit next to me." Rubble said, pulling her towards the extra bowl and the yellow one. When Rubble reached the bowl, he sat down, wagging his little tail as he stared up, panting. That's when Ryder came on the scene, bag of dog food in hand, and smiled at the pups before him.

"Morning, pups." He said.

"Morning Ryder!" The pups shouted back, just as Ryder turned to Diamond.

"Good morning, Diamond. I see you've accepted our invitation." He said, smiling at the Rottweiler. Diamond could feel the eyes of the other pups, and she couldn't help but shuffle her paws, a light blush coming across her face.

"Yeah..." Ryder just smiled before looking over at his own pups.

"Rocky, mind waking Zuma up for breakfast?" He asked.

"I'm trying, but Zuma's kind of a hard sleeper." Rocky said.

"And here I thought getting _Marshall_ to wake up was bad." Chase said, getting the group to laugh. Soon, Zuma slowly came to the world of the living, and once he sat up, Ryder began feeding them. Bowls full, Ryder turned to make his own breakfast as the pups chowed down. Diamond watched the pups, curious, before Rubble had noticed she wasn't eating.

"Hey, aren't you hungry? You should be eating!" He said, startling Diamond. The Rottweiler look down at her bowl, and slowly, ever so slowly, began nibbling on the pellets. Once the flavor of cheese and bacon hit her taste buds, she couldn't help herself, and began eating with a bit more enthusiasm. A minute passed, and when her bowl was empty, she looked up to see most of the pups staring at her, all smiles and playfulness in their eyes. She blushed.

"W-what?" She asked.

"You must've been _weally_ hungwy," Zuma snickered, getting Rocky to elbow him. "I don't think I've evew seen anyone eat that fast - including Wubble."

"You have to remember guys, that Diamond use to be a stray, so food wasn't probably that often as you'd think." Rubble defended, and Diamond felt her heart flutter at the thought of Rubble defending her.

"We know, we're not teasing her or anything, Rubble. We're just surprise is all." Rocky said, smiling at Diamond who ducked her head.

"If you want some more, all you have to do is ask." Chase said, but Diamond shook her head.

"No thanks, I'm full." She said, but her stomach did not agree as it made a large, gurgling noise in protest to her words. Diamond couldn't help but blush as the other pups laughed.

"Full huh? You have nothing to be ashamed of, Diamond. Like I said, I was a stray too, so Ryder knows how large of an appetite I have." Rubble laughed, before grabbing her bowl and headed towards Ryder with it.

"You know, I don't think I ever seen Rubble this talkative before." Diamond heard a pup, a Cockapoo with pink eyes, say and she turned her head to listen to the conversation.

"Or so excited. I think maybe he's just glad he has someone of his age around." Chase said.

"Yeah, I think so too." Marshall agreed.

"Did you guys notice Wubble's actions, though?" Zuma asked, and the pups turned to look at him. "He's being so kind and genewous. Looks like some pup has a cwush on the new girl."

Diamond couldn't help but blush as the pups snickered.

"Zuma! She's _right there_!" Skye hissed, glaring at the Lab. Zuma turned to look at her, and he smiled sheepishly. Rocky and Chase shook their heads while Marshall laughed, just as Rubble came back with her bowl of food.

"There you go, enjoy!" He smiled. Diamond couldn't help but stare, mind going blank as she thought about what Zuma - the Chocolate Labrador - had said. Meanwhile, her stomach began to growl again, and she decided to just eat, in hopes of ignoring her thoughts. It was a little quiet as the pups, one by one, finished eating, when suddenly, a small bleep was heard, and Diamond looked over to see the pups' pup tags lighted up.

 _"PAW Patrol, to the lookout!"_

"Ryder needs us!" They shouted and then headed towards the elevator. Rubble paused and looked back at Diamond.

"You want to join us? It's okay if you don't want to, and finish eating." He asked. Diamond titled her head to the side, thinking, before nodding. Rubble smiled. "Awesome, let's go!"

With that, the two began running towards the elevator, just as Marshall screamed "LOOK OUT!" and crashed into them.

"Sorry pups, I guess Diamond's not the only one who's still hungry." He said, and they just laughed. Diamond continued to stare at them, a feeling of warmth spreading through her chest.

Somehow, she thinks the PAW Patrol was going to play a major part of her life changes.


	8. Chapter 8

After Rubble, Chase, and Skye left the lookout with Ryder, Diamond turned to the remaining pups.

"So...what is it that you guys do for fun around here?" She asked. Marshall and Zuma looked at each other before a smile broke out on their faces.

"Pup Pup Boogie!" They said, rushing towards the elevator. Rocky shook his head while Diamond looked at them with confusion in her eyes.

"Pup Pup Boogie? What's that?" She asked.

"It's a dancing game for us pups!" Marshall said.

"Yeah, it's weally fun, and once you play, you'll nevew want to stop!" Zuma said, jumping up and down. "I'm the king of Pup Pup Boogie, while Skye is the queen. No one has evew beaten our high score, and wight now, thewe's a fiewce battle between hew and I."

"Nobody's ever beaten their high score...yet. Today, I'm going to be challenging that." Marshall said, chest puffed out. Zuma raised an eyebrow, green eyes filled with confidence and egoism.

"Oh yeah? You'we on!" With that, the two headed downstairs. Rocky couldn't help but laugh, causing Diamond to turn to him.

"Marshall should have known better than to challenge Zuma. He's not going to last even a minute - and it's not because I don't believe in him." He said. Diamond tilted her head to the side.

"Why, then?" She asked. Rocky felt his lip twitch, suppressing the urge to smile.

"Because Marshall is clumsy as a pup can get. He loses his footing too often to even be on the pad." The mix-breed laughed. "Wanna watch?"

Diamond nodded her head, and Rocky smiled as the two headed towards the elevator as well.

"Let's go!"

With that, the two headed downstairs just in time to see Zuma bringing out the pads they were going to be on. Sensing the two, Marshall looked over at Diamond and Rocky and smiled.

"After Zuma loses, you wanna play Diamond?" He asked, ignoring Zuma's scoff of disbelief. Diamond hesitated.

"Um...sure, but, how do I play? I never actually done this before." She asked, and Marshall just smiled at her.

"It's easy, all you have to do is match the arrows that come across the screen with the arrows on the pad. The game is design to be a rhythm type of game, so it's basically follow the beat to the song." He said, just as the announcer came on after Zuma plugged in the game. _"Do the Pup Pup Boogie!"_

"Just watch and leawn fwom the mastew, Diamond. I'll show how it's done." Zuma said with a cocky tone in his voice. Soon the two pups got into position, and then the song started to blare out of the speaks, and they began dancing. Diamond watched them, fascinated, as they matched step that came onto the screen. She couldn't help but bop her head a little, the song getting to her, and the urge to dance was overwhelming. She didn't even know that Rocky was watching her, smiling, happy to see the new pup enjoying something that they all love.

Just as the competition between Marshall and Zuma began heating up, they were cut off when Ryder appeared on screen.

"Sorry to bother you pups, but I need Marshall with his ladder." He said.

"It's okay, Ryder. I'm fired up! Diamond, you can continue where I'd left off, okay?" Marshall said as he ran out the door and got into his fire truck. The screen cut back to the game, where it was obvious that Zuma was winning.

"Come on, Diamond, let's play!" Zuma said. Diamond looked around, nervously.

"I don't know...I've never played before."

"Well it's the fiwst fow evewything, wight? Come on. Like Mawshall said, all you need to do is follow the awwows on the scween, and whoevew gets the most points, wins." Zuma said, as the duck on the screen began quacking at the second player. Diamond bit her lip before stepping up to the pad, and did exactly what she was told to do - follow the arrows. Occasionally, she would glance over at Zuma, who was too focus on the game, and then follow his steps, just as well as the arrows. For a few seconds, Diamond stumbled, blushing in embarrassment, before she finally got it down, and began grooving to the music.

Minutes passed by, and Diamond couldn't help but smile as she got into the game, matching Zuma step by step, with Rocky cheering her on. Eventually, they began to tire out, and Zuma decided to call it a draw.

"See? I knew you had it in you. A little more pwactice, and you'll have to fight Skye fow the title of Queen of Pup Pup Boogie." Zuma panted, drinking out of his bowl. Diamond grinned at the compliment, just as Rocky showed up and laid beside Zuma, nuzzling deep on his side. Diamond watched them, curious, as Zuma groaned. "Wocky..."

"Don't 'Wocky' me, you and I both know you enjoy having me by your side." Rocky said, grinning mischievously up at the Labrador. Zuma sighed and pulled him closer, placing a kiss on the top of Rocky's head.

"You'we lucky you'we cute." He muttered, nose deep within Rocky's fur.

"Um," Diamond started. "If you don't mind me asking, but...are you two together?"

"Yep, and so is most of ouw teammates." Zuma said, grinning at the Rottweiler pup.

"Really?" She blinked. "It's just...you don't carry a scent..."

"Scent?" Rocky tilted his head, confused on what she was talking about. When she began blushing, opening her mouth to explain further, Rocky immediately knew what she had been thinking, and shook his head, a little pink dusting across his face. "Oh no, no, no. We carry a scent, but not like that. We're too young."

"And Wydew would probably kill us if he knew." Zuma muttered, rubbing the spot where Rocky elbowed him - something that he seems to be doing a lot today, Zuma thought darkly.

"We mark each other by other means - rubbing against each other, rubbing our scent on our intended mate's pup houses, things like that." Rocky said, grinning as Diamond blinked.

"Mawshall's the only one who's been bitten. I have twied to do it to Wocky, but he won't let me." Zuma pouted, giving his mate a glare as Rocky rolled his eyes. Diamond looked over at the mix-breed.

"Why won't you? Don't you love him?" She asked, and Rocky blushed.

"I...I do, but, with the mating mark, it's just...more _intimate_ somehow. It's one of the first few steps that leads to mating." He said, squirming a little even when Zuma planted a kiss on his cheek.

"And Marshall has one? Who is his mate?" Diamond asked, but she had the feeling she already knew.

"Chase. Which is a suwpwise to us, since the pup had been heads over heels in love with Skye." Zuma said. Diamond blinked as she remembered something Rubble had said to her, and caused her to frown.

"Was he the only one?" She asked. Zuma and Rocky cocked their head to the side, both confused.

"The only one who has a crush on Skye? Eh. It's hard to tell, honestly. Before Everest, Skye was the only female on the team, so it's possible that there could have been more than one crush." Rocky said.

"I...I _did_ have a cwush on hew for a little while, but I got ovew it, thinking she'll like Chase more." Zuma said, blushing, looking quite sheepish for his confession.

"And you, Rocky?" Diamond asked, but Rocky shook his head.

"Nah. I never really saw Skye as a mate, so I think I was one of the few that didn't fall for Skye's charms." He said.

"I had my suspicions on Mawshall, though," Zuma confessed. "He and she had been hanging out a lot in the past few yeaws. I honestly thought they may have had a fling going on, but when I had asked him, Mawshall said he only saw hew as a sister. Plus, he's had a cwush on Chase for a while. He just nevew thought Chase would feel the same."

"Wait, Marshall had a crush on Chase? Since when?! He never gave that impression to me!" Rocky huffed, glaring at his mate as if it was his fault. Zuma just shrugged, scooting a little distance away from Rocky as he continued.

"I think aftew helping Fawmew Yumi that's when it began. You'll have to ask Mawshall youwself. Anyway, Skye is mates with Evewest, Chase with Mawshall, and I with Wocky. Pwetty much evewyone except Wubble." He said. Diamond tilted her head up, mind in thought.

"I see..."

"Hey Diamond, mind staying here in the lookout?" Rocky asked, and Diamond blinked.

"Why?"

"Because tonight's movie night! Every Friday, Ryder, Katie and her cats, Alex and his friend, Emily who will also bring along her kitten named Precious, Jake and his girlfriend, and Everest will come to the lookout to watch a movie with us. Since you are living with Katie, all you have to do is wait for her here, and help us with the snacks." The mix-breed said.

"So, you wanna stay and help us get weady fow tonight?" Zuma asked. Diamond nodded her head and smile.

"Sure!"


	9. Chapter 9

With the sun starting to set, Diamond could see her owner and her two kittens coming towards the lookout, along with a woman and a man who had a Husky - must be Everest - with them.

"Hey Diamond, did you have fun the pups?" Katie asked, and the Rottweiler pup nodded her head.

"I did. They showed how to play Pup Pup Boogie, and it's lots of fun!" She said, smiling up at the blonde as her tail wagged. Katie gave her a smile back, happy to know that her pup was being welcomed into the group.

"That's good. Diamond, this is Jake and Carla. Carla is his girlfriend, and Jake is the owner and lives on top of the mountains here in Adventure Bay." Katie said, pointing to the two adults. Jake and Carla smiled down at the pup, who shifted on her paws albeit nervously.

"Hello Diamond. It's so nice to meet you." Carla said and Jake nodded in agreement. Diamond nodded her head too before glancing over at the Husky that was with them. "This is Everest. She was a stray just like you as she had lived in a snowy tundra."

"A snowy tundra? All by yourself?" Diamond asked, staring at the pup with wide eyes. Everest just grinned sheepishly, although, there was a distant look in her dark blue eyes.

"I had been with someone...but she died long before I'd met Jake and the pups." She said, looking down at the ground. Silence followed after that, but then Everest looked at her owner and the others. "Is it okay if I talked to Diamond alone?"

"Sure." Jake said, and the rest began to move inside the lookout, talking about the movie they were going to see. Diamond watched them before turning to Everest, confused on why she wanted to talk to her.

"Her name was Kimberly. I had met her when I was about 8 weeks old, when her parents finally decided to let her have a pet," Thinking of that day, Everest smiled as sad smile, and it caught Diamond's attention as she paid close attention to Everest's story. "We were the best of friends. We shared everything together, got into trouble with each other, and spent most of our days together too. She was the best owner I could have asked for..." Everest closed her eyes, pushing away the tears. "Kimberly loved penguins. They were her favorite animals, and every time we went to the zoo, it was always the first thing she wanted to see. If that wasn't enough, she had more penguin plushies than I ever had own bouncy balls. She just adored those flightless birds." Everest grinned as a tear slipped down on her face. "Then, one day, she had said she wanted to see them in their natural habitat. I told her that she can, if she was willing to put effort to it."

"Did she ever see them?" Diamond couldn't help but asked. Everest grinned.

"She did, at a price. She studied and trained to be a pilot, so that way, when she wants to see them she could. She'll have her very own plane." Suddenly, Everest's face was crestfallen, a look of pain entering her eyes, and Diamond bit her lip as she watched the Husky's eyes water. "At the end, she did. She was so very excited that she got her pilot license. We got into the plane and took off not soon after, too excited to care about the usual engine check. It was a really long flight, and I had to hold bladder for a really long time - but when we reached the snowy lands, it was worth it. The snow looked beautiful, never touched, and water looked crisp and clean - freezing too, but when you live in a tundra with no communication to the outside world, you'll get use to it." Everest laughed, but to Diamond, it sounded hollow. "Then, we saw them. The penguins. They were so adorable, and I saw the awe in Kimberly's eyes. She was amazed. But then, our engine had blown a fuse and..."

She started to sob, and Diamond scooted close to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"There was a storm and it hit the engine, and before we knew it, we were falling out of the sky. I heard Kimberly scream into the radio, but I wasn't sure if they heard us or not. It felt like a minute before we crashed landed, and I had been knocked out for what it seems like a few hours. When I came to, our plane was worse for wear, and the engine had been smoking. I thought I was fine, bleeding and having a headache, compared to what Kimberly looked like..." Everest whimpered. "She kept drifting in and out of conscious, I don't think she was aware of us crashing. We were still in a storm, so I had to make cover for us, and I decided to make an igloo," She sniffled. "It took a while, but I had manage to complete it and dragged Kimberly in before things could get worse. Only, it had, but for me - because while I was busy doing that, Kimberly had been suffering with hypothermia. Her body temperature was dropping at dangerously low levels and I couldn't...I couldn't..." Everest wailed, burying her face in Diamond's chest. "I couldn't save her! I had very little warmth of my own, and I couldn't fix her wounds, or make the blood stop flowing! I had begged, pleaded, for someone to hear me in the radio, but the radio was dead! And, when I woke up a couple of days of being stranded, she was...was..." Everest hiccupped. "Gone. She was dead long before anyone could have helped me."

"I'm sorry." Diamond whispered, feeling her eyes sting a little. Suddenly there was movement, and the Rottweiler turned around to see a small, golden poodle mix standing there, pink eyes filled with sorrow.

"Everest..." She said, and Everest turned around to see her mate right there. Almost immediately, Everest detached herself from Diamond and latched onto Skye, sobbing and crying. "There, there. Let it all out."

Everest continued to cry, while Diamond looked on, a thought coming to her. What if her owner was dead too? What if that was the reason he never came back? She frowned and looked at the ground.

"I don't know where my owner is," She started, getting the attention of Skye and Everest. "He told me he'll be back. Said he'll come get me when he finds help, but...that was a over a year ago." Diamond looked at the crying Husky. "I am sorry for your loss. Compared to mine, yours is the most tragic."

"It's a tragedy when our owners don't come back period. Whether we are abandoned or they passed away, it doesn't matter. We cared about them so much, it hurts, and it hurts more to know that, to some humans, we don't mean a thing," Skye said, growling a little. "I had been living on the streets too. My fur was matted, and one of my legs got crushed by a car. I could have been dead if not for Ryder picking me up and taking me over to Katie's." Skye sighed. "I would forever be grateful to Ryder. Had he not come along, I wouldn't be here, living with the others, having a mate of my own. Ryder has shown kindness to me that I don't think I'll ever repay back."

"And it's the same with Jake and I," Everest said, once her crying came to a stop. "Had Jake not show up when he did, or had I not rescue him when he needed help, I would have still been stuck in that snowy tundra, living on my own. Since then, our friendship is pretty remarkable."

"And I think, yours and Katie's could be the same, Diamond," Skye said, smiling at the surprised pup. "You shouldn't let one bad apple spoil a whole bunch. Katie is just as loving, caring, and sweet as Ryder and Jake. She would love you just as much as she loves Cali and Scar."

"I know," Diamond said, looking at the ground. "I know she cares. I know you care too. I don't want to live in the past anymore."

"Then don't, you have friends now." A new voice said, and the three pups turned around to see everyone standing there with a smile on their face. Well, everyone except Cali and Scar, both of which had found a corner to be in and was laying peacefully, waiting for the movie to start. Rubble came up to Diamond and smiled at her. "You see? You're not alone. Just about everyone here is the same, or almost the same. I'm sorry that your owner had abandon you, but you could also thank him for that - because then, you wouldn't have found us, now, would you?"

Diamond blinked, before realizing Rubble was saying the truth, and nodded, smiling.

"Yeah."

"Great! Now with that being said, we still need Alex , Emily, and Precious here so we can see the movie!"

"Here we are!" A voice shouted just as the doors open up and revealed two six year olds and a small kitten. The orange tabby had immediately spotted Cali, mewed, and began making her way over to Cali, much to the older cat's annoyance. Marshall grinned.

"Alright, movie time! What should we watch?" He asked.

"Let's watch a comedy. I'm in the mood for a laugh." Carla said, and just about everyone agreed. Soon the group started to move towards the hang out, where Ryder dimmed the lights as everyone sat with their partners; Jake and Carla, Zuma and Rocky, Marshall and Chase, Skye and Everest, Ryder and Katie, Cali, Scar, and Precious, Alex and Emily, and finally, Rubble and Diamond. As soon as the Bulldog was comfortable, he whispered over to her.

"Welcome to the family, Diamond."

Diamond smiled.

* * *

A/n: If you don't know, Everest's backstory is a reference to my other story, Cold (a EverestxSkye fanfic). Essentially, this is my own story about how and why Everest lived so far away from the other pups (and don't you dare say it's part of Jake's mountain. Not only is that wrong, but on Jake's mountain, there are no penguins - just forest animals. This concludes to me that Everest was probably either born/raised in an unknown frozen tundra - or she was brought there). Since Cold isn't complete yet, you could say this is spoilers as to why Everest is acting the way she does in Cold. Oh well. I mean, I had this idea when I had created PAW Patrol: United too, but since United is cancelled and to never return (since it was a EverestxMarshall, ChasexSkye fanfic :D), anything I've written thus far for my OCs or background story for certain characters is up for grasp now. I'll stick with my storyline - Mr. Porter not being Alex's actual grandfather, Ryder's parents had problems when his father brought a dog for him, thus, causing them to split whilst having relationship problems to being with, Katie's parents are the same, Mayor Humdinger grew up around a stick father figure, therefore, he's acting like an asshole BECAUSE of said father figure, Mayor Goodway having insecurities and doubts about being a mayor, her brother not really helping by constantly checking on her almost in a stalkerish way, waiting for her to fail - but yeah. All this will come in due time.


End file.
